The Life of Zhar 'Chavam
by HaloFanFictionGuy300
Summary: First fanfic. This is the story of a Sangheili's life in the Covenant, from his training to his campaign against the humans to his defection from the empire. This is the life of Zhar 'Chavam. Halo belongs to Microsoft and 343 Industries. Rated M for content.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Halo in any way, shape, or form. Halo belongs to Microsoft and 343 Industries.** **Updates will be weekly at the very least and monthly at the very most.**

 **I have made some edits to this chapter and the next four.**

Date: 05/10/2553

It has been five months since the war with the humans ended. Sanghelios was deep in civil war. Zhar 'Chavam was currently at a terminal going through the personnel files of the Swords of Sanghelios, an ancient order recently revived by Thel 'Vadam. Eventually, he found the personnel file with his name on it and opened it.

Opening Swords of Sanghelios personnel file

Name: Zhar 'Chavam

Homeworld: Sanghelios

Born: October 10, 2500

Species: Sangheili

Gender: Male

Height: 7'10

Weight: 325 pounds

Eye color: Yellow

Affiliation: House of Chavam

Rank: Ultra/Shipmaster of the _Blade of Honor_

Closing Swords of Sanghelios personnel file

After closing his personnel file and shutting off the terminal, Zhar began to reflect upon the events of his life that brought him to this moment. It was a life of pain, suffering, death, betrayal, and love. It was his life.

 **Remember to review. I do not own Halo in any way, shape, or form. Halo belongs to Microsoft and 343 Industries.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Halo in any way, shape, or form. Halo belongs to Microsoft and 343 Industries.**

-Day of Hatching-

Several months ago, Khalia 'Chavam, the wife of Khan 'Chavamee, the kaidon of the state of Chavam, laid five eggs currently being kept in an incubator. Four of the eggs were bright yellow and would never hatch. The kaidon's wife sat near the incubator, praying to the Forerunners that her last egg would hatch. As she finished her prayer, her husband walked into the hatchery. He couldn't bear to see her like this any longer.

"You need to rest, my love." he said to her.

Before she could respond, both of them heard a cracking sound mixed with the sound of chirping. Khan walked over to the incubator and smiled as he saw that the last egg had hatched. Khalia reached into the incubator and brought the hatchling close to her chest.

"It is a male." she said to her husband smiling as the hatchling nuzzled his face into her chest. "His name will be Zhar."

Khan's smile suddenly disappeared as he remembered that he could not raise this hatchling. Not as his father anyway. As is customary on Sanghelios, the hatchling would not be allowed to know the identity of his father in order to minimize nepotism and to promote loyalty to his clan rather than his parents. In the father's place, a Sangheii child is raised by an uncle.

'If I cannot be his father, than I will be his uncle.' he thought to himself

-Year 5-

From the day every Sangheili can stand, they are trained to fight. Zhar was no exception. On this day, he was training with his uncle, the kaidon, along with other younglings while being supervised by his mother, currently wearing the green kimono with purple trim that she usually wore. The kaidon and the younglings he was teaching all wore loincloths and wielded wooden staffs for basic combat training. It was Zhar's turn now.

"Strike me." the kaidon ordered him. Zhar did as he was told and charged at the kaidon, attempting to hit him with an overhead strike. This was easily dodged by the kaidon. Zhar attempted two strikes to both sides of his opponent's body. The more experienced warrior blocked both attacks and disarmed the young Sangheili before hitting him on the side of the head, hard enough to hurt him but light enough to not kill him, knocking Zhar to the ground.

"Always study your opponent's stance." the kaidon told him. "Never charge in without a plan."

"Yes, sir." Zhar said to him. It was at this moment that Zhar rolled toward his staff, grabbed it, and stood up again. This time, he knew what to do.

"Again, strike me." the kaidon ordered him. Zhar ran in for another strike, which the kaidon easily blocked. This time, however, Zhar maneuvered behind him and struck the kaidon in the ankle. The kaidon yelled out in pain and fell to his knees. Zhar then hit him on the side of the head, knocking him to the ground, before pointing the tip of his staff at the kaidon's throat.

"Impressive." the kaidon stated before Zhar stepped away from him, allowing him to get up. The kaidon turned towards Zhar's mother and spoke to her. "Khalia, feed these younglings and get them to their beds. They've earned it."

"Follow me, children." Zhar's mother said to them. After a long day of training, it would be great to finally eat and get some rest.

-Year 20-

After fifteen years of training, it had finally come to an end. Today, Zhar and the rest of his class would graduate into the ranks of the Covenant military. Now donning the blue armor of minors, Zhar and his fellow warriors waited for the kaidon to come out into the keep's courtyard and induct them into the Covenant military.

The kaidon stepped out into the courtyard, wearing a robe that signified his status, and brought them all before him, one by one, and had them all swear an oath of service to the Covenant. Eventually, Zhar was up and walked towards the kaidon. The oath itself was the beginning of the Writ of Union, the holy document that ended the war between the San'Shyuum and the Sangheili three thousand years ago and was the foundation of the Covenant. All Sangheili in the Covenant were expected to remember it word for word. Zhar reached the kaidon and recited the oath.

"So full of hate were our eyes that none of us could see. Our war would yield countless dead but never victory. So let us cast arms aside and like discard our wrath. Thou, in faith, will keep us safe whilst we find the path."

 **So Zhar is now a member of the Covenant military. Next chapter, Zhar finds love but at the worst time possible. Remember to review. Tell me what you liked or hated but no flames please.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Halo in anyway, shape, or form. Halo belongs to Microsoft and 343 Industries**

-Year 24-

It has been four years since Zhar became a member of the Covenant military and he still hasn't been deployed. The High Prophet of Tolerance, along with the High Prophet of Restraint and the High Prophetess of Obligation, made a concentrated effort to promote good relations between all of the member races of the Covenant the day they became the Hierarchs of the Covenant over sixty years ago after the First Unggoy Rebellion. So far, they were doing a good job.

There has been very little conflict since the First Unggoy Rebellion, apart from the induction of the Jiralhanae into the Covenant, which occurred eight years before Zhar was born. The most recent conflicts were the Sixteenth Unggoy Disobedience and the heretical reign of a Kig-Yar pirate prince named Krith. Both conflicts were resolved swiftly by a Sangheili warlord thrall named Ripa 'Moramee.

Today, Zhar was in one of his keep's training rooms, wearing his armor's skinsuit and punching a bag full of sand that was hanging from the ceiling. Until he was deployed, he would stay at Chavam keep as part of his uncle's personal guard. As the kaidon of the state of Chavam, there were many individuals who wished to see his uncle dead and it was Zhar's job to make sure those individuals failed.

Everyday, whenever he got the chance, Zhar would come into the training room he was currently in and start exercising like he was currently doing to maintain his physique for when he would finally be deployed. On most days, he was alone. Today was different. After he punched the bag open, pouring sand all over the floor, Zhar heard a feminine voice behind him.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." the voice said. Zhar turned around and saw a Sangheili woman, perhaps five years younger than him. She wore a black kimono that complimented her slender figure, her eyes were silver, and her jaw arrangement was perfectly symmetrical. In her right hand was a curveblade.

"Not at all." Zhar said to her. "Why do you have a curveblade in your hand?"

The woman looked at the floor for a second before looking back at him. "Just because I am a woman doesn't mean I cannot wield a weapon." she said to him defensively.

"I didn't say that. I was just wandering why you walked in here with a curveblade in your hand." Zhar said. He was trained to understand that an individual coming towards you with a weapon drawn means to kill you. However, from her stance, he knew that this woman did not mean to kill him.

"I'm sorry. Most men tend to scoff at the notion of a female fighter." she apologized. "To answer your question, I often come in here when no one is around and practice with it."

"Wouldn't you rather have a sparring partner so you could learn more?" Zhar asked her.

"I would but no one is willing to be my sparring partner." she replied. Zhar then remembered that combat training for females usually didn't go beyond basic. They were expected to stay on Sanghelios to manage politics and care for children, not fight on the frontlines.

"I'll be your sparring partner." Zhar told her.

"You will?" the woman asked, surprised that a male volunteered to help her be a better fighter.

"Of course. Now get into a combat stance and we'll begin." Zhar said as he grabbed a curveblade from a nearby weapons rack. She did as she was told and their sparring session began. It lasted for about an hour before it ended in a stalemate. Zhar, while larger and physically stronger, was slower than her. The woman was the complete opposite. She may have been smaller and physically weaker than Zhar but she used speed and flexibility to her advantage.

"You learn quickly." Zhar said to her after catching his breath. It certainly didn't help that he had just finished excercising moments prior to their sparring session.

"Thank you." the woman said to him. It then dawned on Zhar's mind that neither of them knew each other's names.

"My name is Zhar." he said to her, holding out his hand.

"Shesha." she said to him, taking his hand into hers and shaking it.

"I hope to see you again, Shesha."

"Likewise, Zhar." she to him, smiling as she walked away. It was at this moment that Zhar felt a strange feeling in his chest. Shesha was a beautiful and strong woman. Her lovely figure, those silver eyes, that beautiful face of hers, and her skills with a blade. Zhar was in love with her.

-The Next Day-

Zhar was currently standing near the kaidon in his personal chambers. The kaidon himself was standing at his balcony which overlooked his state. Zhar was fully armored and had a plasma rifle holstered to his hip and a carbine holstered to his back. Zhar tried his best to think about protecting the kaidon but all he could think about was meeting Shesha again. The kaidon turned around and noticed that Zhar seemed to be deep in thought.

"Is everything all right?" he asked Zhar.

"Yes, sir." he answered rather quickly.

"Please, drop the formalities." the kaidon-his uncle told him.

"Of course, uncle. And everything is all right." Zhar told his uncle, who wasn't buying it.

"Something is on your mind, Zhar. Otherwise, you wouldn't be simply standing there and stare out into space." Zhar understood there was no point in keeping secrets anymore. His uncle found a couple of chairs, sat on one of them, and beckoned Zhar to sit as well, which he did. Zhar then took a deep breath and spoke.

"There is this woman named Shesha that I met yesterday and I just can't stop thinking about her, no matter what I do." he said to his uncle.

"Then go up to her and tell her how you feel." his uncle said.

"That's just it. I don't know how to tell her without coming off as a fool." Zhar said. No amount of combat training ever prepared Zhar for courtship. "There are so many things I admire about her. She's strong, smart, and beautiful. I just wish I could tell her without coming off as a fool."

"Then do it." a voice from the door said. Zhar and his uncle looked towards that direction and they both saw Zhar's mother standing there.

"How long were you standing there, Khalia?" his uncle asked.

"Long enough, Khan." she answered. She then faced Zhar and continued. "All you have to do is go up to her and tell her exactly how you feel and what you like about her. No pickup lines. Just be honest. You can't go wrong with the truth."

Zhar thought about it for a moment and realized she was right. "All right, I'll do it. Thank you." he said to his mother, getting up from his chair and walking off to find Shesha. He found her stretching in the training room where they first met yesterday. Zhar knocked on the wall to get her attention.

"Shesha." he said.

"Zhar. It's good to see you again." she said.

"Likewise. Shesha, there's something that I wish to tell you."

"What is it?" Shesha asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I have been thinking a lot about you lately." Zhar started. "There are many things I admire about you. Not just your appearance, but your personality and your skills with a blade. What I'm trying to say is this: Shesha, will you allow me to court you?"

Shesha smiled, walked closer to Zhar, and gave him her answer. "Yes, I will allow you to court me." Zhar smiled at her answer.

-A few months later-

For the next few months, Zhar and Shesha courted. As time went by, their feelings for each other became more pronounced. Eventually, among the most memorable nights of their lives happened. They were at the cliffs of Qivro, facing the Csurdon Sea. Both of Sanghelios' moons were in the night sky, surrounded by countless stars. From where they were, they could see the city of Sunaion.

"It is a lovely night." Shesha said.

"Not as lovely as you." Zhar said. "Shesha, I have something important to ask you."

"What is it, Zhar?" Shesha asked. Zhar took both of her hands in his, looked directly into her eyes, and spoke.

"We have been courting for several months and I have decided that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Shesha, will you marry me?" For a moment, Shesha was overwhelmed with happiness. She got over it quickly, embraced Zhar, and gave him her answer.

"Yes, I will marry you, Zhar." Zhar smiled and embraced her as well.

-Wedding Day-

Zhar was wearing a black robe with white trim. Standing next to him was Shesha, his wife-to-be. She was wearing her usual kimono and had a veil covering her face. Performing their wedding was the kaidon himself.

"It was the Forerunners that first attained godhood and pledged to watch over us as their children." the kaidon started. "It from their love of us that we first learned to love one another. It is from this love that we learn that a life lived alone is no life at all. We gather here today, under the loving gaze of the gods, to bear witness to the union of two souls in eternal companionship. May they journey together in this life and in the next, in prosperity and poverty, and in joy and hardship." He turned towards Shesha and continued.

"Do you agree to be bound together, in love, now and forever?"

"I do. Now and forever." Shesha told the kaidon. The kaidon turned towards Zhar and asked the same question he asked Shesha. Zhar gave the kaidon the same answer Shesha gave him.

"Then by the power vested in me, I declare this couple to be wed." the kaidon said. Zhar lifted the veil covering his new wife's face and pressed his nostrils against hers. It was the Sangheili equivalent of a kiss.

-One year after meeting Shesha-

Zhar and Shesha had settled into their new home. They were currently in the living room, sitting on their couch and viewing the newly-crowned High Prophets of Truth, Mercy, and Regret give their first speech to the Covenant on their holovision.

" _The 23_ _rd_ _Age of Doubt has ended and the 9_ _th_ _Age of Reclamation has begun._ " the Prophet of Truth began. It was met with applause by those in the High Council Chamber. Truth raised his hand to silence them and continued with his speech.

" _Most of those we encountered in our search were compelled to join our holy union. They now take part in our holy quest. In exchange for their allegiance and service, they shall be granted freedom and salvation when the Great Journey begins. But some, like a new species we have encountered called humans, have chosen to impede our progress. They have destroyed holy relics on a large scale. For their sins, they will be hunted until there is nowhere left for them to run and none of them remain alive._ " That last part got Zhar's attention. It meant he would be deployed soon and he would be away from Shesha for quite some time.

" _We will do this, for the humans' destruction is the will of the gods and we are their instrument._ " Truth said, finishing his speech.

 **The Human-Covenant War has begun and Zhar is going to be part of it. Remember to review. Tell me what you liked or hated but no flames please.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Halo in any way, shape, or form. Halo belongs to Microsoft and 343 Industries.**

-Year 26-

Zhar and his uncle were standing at a landing platform, waiting for a phantom to pick them up. Zhar was back in his armor and had his plasma rifle and carbine holstered to his hip and back respectively. Instead of his usual robe, Zhar's uncle was wearing a golden combat harness. Holstered to both of his legs were two energy sword hilts. Shesha, Zhar's wife, was saying her goodbyes, knowing this could be the last time she and Zhar see each other.

"Goodbye, Zhar." she said to Zhar while embracing him.

"You needn't worry, Shesha." he told her while embracing her as well. "This enemy will be defeated and I will stand by your side once more."

Shesha looked into Zhar's eyes and spoke. "Promise me that, Zhar."

"I promise you, Shesha. Nothing will stand between us." At that moment, the phantom that Zhar and his uncle were waiting for came. Both warriors boarded the dropship and were flown to the ship they would be on for the war.

Soon enough, they were in the hangar of that ship. It was a CAS-class assault carrier known as the _Blade of Honor_. In the carrier's hangar were hundreds of phantoms, seraphs, ticks, banshees, ghosts, spectres, shadows, wraiths, and ten Protos-model scarabs. The ship itself was crewed by thousands of Sangheili and Unggoy, as well as a hundred Mgalekgolo.

There was also a San'Shyuum High Councilor assigned to the ship. That San'Shyuum came into view as soon as Zhar and his uncle got off the phantom. He was sitting on his gravity throne and was wearing a simple white robe. Accompanying him were ten Honor Guards. This was the Prophet of Justice, a descendant of the same Hierarch who turned the title of Arbiter into a badge of shame about four hundred years ago.

The heresy of Fal 'Chavamee was well-known in the state of Chavam. Zhar's entire clan would have been destroyed all those years ago because of Fal's heresy had it not been for the actions of his brother, Haka. In exchange for killing Fal, his wife, and his descendants, the rest of the clan, along with Haka's wife and descendants, were spared by the Covenant. Zhar and his uncle were descended from that bloodline.

"Shipmaster, are you ready to depart?" the Prophet of Justice asked Zhar's uncle.

"Yes, Holy One." Zhar's uncle, who was now the shipmaster of the _Blade of Honor_ , responded. The shipmaster and the prophet then walked, or hovered in the prophet's case, toward the elevator that would take them to the bridge. They were followed by the Honor Guards. Zhar, on the other hand, remained in the hangar.

" _Crew of the_ _**Blade of Honor**_ , _we are about to go into slipspace_." the shipmaster announced on the ship's speakers. " _Our destination is a human planet identified as Harvest. When we get there, we will exterminate the humans like the vermin they are. Victory will be ours! For the Covenant!_ "

"For the Covenant!" Zhar and the rest of the crew exclaimed in response. The carrier then went into slipspace. Its destination was the planet Harvest and its goal was to begin its campaign against the humans.

-Harvest-

As soon as the _Blade of Honor_ exited slipspace, its crew were welcomed with the sight of destroyed ships in space. Most the ships belonged to the humans but there were some that belonged to the Covenant. The planet itself was already partially glassed and being held by the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction, currently under the command of Ripa 'Moramee, now the current Arbiter after a failed coup. The _Blade of Honor_ was assigned to provide support for the fleet for the duration of the battle.

Zhar, the shipmaster, and twenty Sangheili and Unggoy had loaded themselves into a phantom and were being flown to the surface of the planet. As soon as they landed, they were welcomed with the sound of gunfire and grenade explosions. The shipmaster immediately took out his two energy sword hilts, activated them, and impaled the two nearest humans. Zhar and the other Covenant soldiers had taken out their plasma rifles and plasma pistols and opened fire on the humans. As the remaining humans began to retreat, they were gunned down by incoming banshees and were all slaughtered in seconds.

All except one. Zhar walked up to the last surviving human, aimed his plasma rifle, and put the wounded human out of its misery. Zhar then took the time to indentify the species he was fighting. They were about the same height as Kig-Yar, had a similar body plan to Jiralhanae, wore green armor, had red blood, and some of them had a pale skin tone, although he noticed that there were also some with a darker skin tone.

Zhar now knew what his enemy looked like and had killed some of them. However, he saw the destroyed Covenant ships in space and was currently seeing dead bodies of Sangheili from a previous engagement these humans were in. This told him that the humans were not to be underestimated. He knew this battle was not won yet. It was only the beginning.

-Year 31-

Zhar was now donning the red armor of a major and was assisting a field master and his platoon in protecting a landing zone so that they could get off the planet. The humans had suffered heavy casualties, their planet was almost completely glassed, and a Forerunner relic was recovered by the Arbiter and his forces. The Covenant had completed their mission here.

Suddenly, Zhar heard gunfire coming from the bridge leading to the landing zone. Zhar looked towards that direction and saw a human vehicle with a turret in the back. Manning the turret was a red-armored demon. He had seen quite a few of these warriors who had cut through entire Covenant battalions during his time on this planet. He would make them pay for killing his brothers.

"Open fire!" the field master ordered. Soon, every Sangheili, Kig-Yar, and Unggoy began to shoot at the vehicle. Zhar then heard a noise from the sky, looked up, and saw a human dropship flying towards the landing zone. The dropship fired upon the bridge, forcing Zhar, the field master, and a handful of others to take cover. Just before one Sangheili was torn apart by gunfire, he managed to throw a plasma grenade at the human vehicle. The grenade detonated and caused the vehicle to flip over.

Surprisingly, both the demon and the human driving the vehicle survived the explosion and began to run to the dropship, currently under attack by Zhar, the field master, and the other survivors. Zhar looked toward the demon's direction, aimed his carbine, and pulled the trigger. However, he quickly discovered that he wasted all of his ammuntion on the dropship. He holstered the carbine on his back, grabbed a nearby needler, aimed, and fired three needles at the demon.

The demon yelled in pain as the needles detonated in its chest, knocking it off its feet and onto its back. Zhar could have sworn he saw the demon's helmet knocked off from the force of the explosion as well.

"Daisy!" one of the humans in the dropship yelled out.

"Chief!" another one exclaimed. The field master then ran towards the demon with his energy sword drawn. He was quickly gunned down by the humans in the dropship. Now in command of the platoon, Zhar ordered all remaining troops to open fire upon the dropship.

"I'm coming! Stay right there!" one of the humans told the demon.

"There's no time! Go, Ralph! Get that ship out of here now!" the demon yelled back in a feminine voice. Zhar aimed his needler at the one known as "Ralph" and killed him as he ran towards the demon. Meanwhile, the dropship was being bombarded by shots from fuel rod guns. The humans returned fire but their fates were already sealed. The demon tried to help her comrades but only took out one Sangheili. The dropship was quickly destroyed and Zhar walked towards the fallen demon. For the first time, he saw what the demons truly were. They were simply humans.

This one in particular had blue eyes, short blonde hair, and had a pale skin tone. Zhar made eye contact with the demon as she glared at him with hatred in her eyes. A few seconds later, she let out her last breath and stared blankly at him. The demon was dead. Eventually, the phantoms that Zhar and the others were waiting for came in. After being loaded into the phantoms, Zhar and the survivors were flown to the _Blade of Honor_ to move on to the next human planet.

 **Guess which Spartan it was that Zhar just killed. Remember to review. Tell me what you liked or hated but no flames please.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Halo in any way, shape, or form. Halo belongs to Microsoft and 343 Industries.**

 **I have made some edits to the first four chapters. Nothing that will affect the story at all. Just some changes to wording and the first chapter got expanded a little. With that out of the way, let the story continue.**

-Year 35-

Zhar was currently in a room with only one light, two seats, and a table. Sitting across from him was a human freighter pilot that he had taken prisoner. For the past few days, Zhar had been interrogating this human with the purpose of finding out the location of any human planets.

"It has been days since you've become our prisoner." Zhar said to the human. "You've been starved and beaten. I can make it all end if you answer my questions. I promise I will be more merciful than what my comrades have planned for you."

The human looked up at Zhar, his face all bloodied up from the torture he had endured, and spoke. "Fuck you, you alien bastard."

Zhar sighed and got up from his seat. "I guess we can starve and beat you for a few more days until you give us what we want. Or until you die." Zhar said to the human. The threat of being starved and beaten until he died or gave information apparently worked because the human spoke just as Zhar was about to exit the room.

"Wait. I'll talk." the human said. Zhar turned around, walked towards the table, and sat back down.

"Then talk." Zhar told the human.

"There's this planet in the Lambda Serpentis system. It's called Jericho VII." the human said to Zhar. The human then went into detail about the planet's coordinates, defenses, and population.

"Is that everything you know?" Zhar asked.

"Yes." the human answered.

"Thank you for answering my questions." Zhar said before he took out his plasma rifle and executed the human. He promised to end the human's suffering and he did. It was a far more merciful death than being fed to starving Kig-Yar convicts.

"Shipmaster, I have all the information we need." Zhar said on his comms.

" _Excellent. Report to the bridge as soon as possible and tell me and the Prophet of Justice what the prisoner told you._ " the shipmaster ordered Zhar. Zhar got to the bridge as soon as he could and told the shipmaster and the prophet everything the human told him. He told them the names of the system and the planet, as well as the planet's coordinates, defenses and population.

"Is that that everything he knew?" the shipmaster asked.

"Yes, sir." Zhar answered.

"Very well. Helm, take us to the planet Jericho VII." the shipmaster ordered the helmsman.

"Yes sir." the helmsman said. Soon, the _Blade of Honor_ and thirty-six other vessels made the slipspace jump to Jericho VII.

-Jericho VII-

Zhar and his fellow warriors have fought on this planet for three days. The humans were determined to keep their planet. They had fought valiantly both in orbit and on the ground. However, while they were winning the ground engagements with the help of their demons, they were losing the battle in space.

Eventually, the situation on the ground became too much to handle, so all troops were called back to the ships above the planet. There, the battle had been won. Zhar was called up to the bridge of the _Blade of Honor_ by the shipmaster. It was time for Jericho VII to be glassed.

"Is everything ready, shipmaster?" the Prophet of Justice asked the shipmaster.

"Yes, Holy One." the shipmaster answered before motioning Zhar towards the control panel.

"You want me to glass the planet?" Zhar asked, surprised that the shipmaster declined to glass the planet.

"You are the reason we found this planet. The honor is yours." the shipmaster told him. Zhar walked towards to controls and hovered his hand over the control panel, waiting for the prophet to give the command.

"You may fire when ready, major." the prophet told him. In that instant, Zhar began to glass the planet's largest settlement. What once was a population center was now reduced to molten glass. After he finished burning the settlement, Zhar turned towards the prophet and kneeled. The prophet laid his hand on Zhar's shoulders and spoke.

"Rise, my child." the prophet told him. Zhar did as he was told and looked at the prophet in the eyes. "The gods are pleased with your actions."

As soon as the prophet said that, the shipmaster ordered all of the other ships to glass the rest of the planet. Jericho VII had fallen. Furthermore, Zhar's place in the Great Journey had been secured.

 **Like I said, the last four chapters have received some edits. Anyway, Zhar glassed Jericho VII. What will he do in the next chapter? Stay tuned and find out. Remember to review. Tell me what you liked or hated but no flames please.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Halo in any way, shape, or form. Halo belongs to Microsoft and 343 Industries.**

 **minecraft93: I was just thinking about the next Star Wars movie when I typed that reference.**

-Year 36-

Zhar was now donning the white armor of an ultra. On his left hip was a plasma rifle and on the right was an energy sword hilt. The _Blade of Honor_ had been assigned to the newly-formed Fleet of Particular Justice, led by Thel 'Vadamee. The fleet's target was a human planet known as Camber. Zhar's uncle had told him that he would be leading a small group of ground forces on the planet's surface. Meanwhile, Zhar's uncle and sixteen other shipmasters would be bombing key defensive positions.

Zhar was currently in a phantom with four Sangheili wearing the blue armor of minors, five Unggoy, and an Mgalekgolo pair. Four of the Unggoy were whimpering in fear of dying on this mission. The fifth one, on the other hand, was doing the complete opposite. He was doing his best to calm his fellow Unggoy down

"Relax, guys." the fifth Unggoy said. "We have an ultra leading us. From what I heard, the Supreme Commander is also going to be on the surface. We will get through this alive. I promise you."

Zhar admired this Unggoy's confidence. He made a mental note to make sure that everyone, even the Unggoy, got out of this mission alive. Unlike most Sangheili, Zhar did not view the Unggoy as inferior. He viewed them, as well as the other races in the Covenant, as equals.

"Unggoy." Zhar said, getting the Unggoy's attention. "What is your name?"

"Dazad, sir." the Unggoy answered.

"Dazad, I am placing you in charge of keeping up the morale of your fellow Unggoy. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." Dazad answered. Soon enough, the phantom reached the planet's surface. The landing zone was the outskirts of the planet's largest city. The plan on the ground was for Thel 'Vadamee to lead a special operations unit on an attack on the human's military headquarters while Zhar, his group, and others pick off the soldiers everywhere else.

"Is everyone ready?" Zhar asked his group.

"Yes, sir." they all answered. They then made their way through the rainy streets of the city. Eventually, they came across a small group of humans on patrol. There were ten of them and they were all armed with assault rifles. Zhar ordered his men to open fire on the humans, who became corpses riddled with plasma burns on the streets in seconds. Almost immediately afterward, however, Zhar and his men heard the familiar sound of two human vehicles coming their way. Zhar looked in the direction the sound was coming from and saw a ground vehicle with a turret in the back and an air vehicle that was being kept aloft by two turbofan engines, one on either side. Based on the intel that had been gathered, the ground vehicle was called a warthog and the air vehicle was called a hornet.

"Get to cover!" Zhar ordered his men. The Sangheili and Unggoy immediately did as he said. The Mgalekgolo pair, on the other hand, stood their ground. One of the bond brothers charged at the warthog, protecting itself from the turret's bullets with its shield. As soon as the Mgalekgolo got in range, it fired its assault cannon, destroying the vehicle. The other bond brother was dealing with the hornet, protecting itself from the aircraft's bullets with its shield. When the aircraft started firing its missiles, the Mgalekgolo switched its assault cannon's settings. It fired a beam of incendiary gel at the aircraft, which soon went down in flames.

Before Zhar and his men could savor their victory, however, they heard a sound coming from the sky. Zhar looked up and saw drop pods coming down. These pods did not belong to the Covenant. They were made by the humans and they all contained black-armored soldiers known to the Covenant as imps. While not as capable as the demons, they were more dangerous than the human soldiers Zhar and his men killed earlier. Ten of the pods came crashing down on their location and the imps came out of their pods, firing their submachine guns. The four Sangheili that accompanied Zhar were killed in less than a minute. Zhar drew his energy sword and charged at the imps. Protected from gunfire by his stronger shields, Zhar killed all of the imps in seconds.

However, this victory too was short-lived as yet another aircraft came flying in on their position. This aircraft was larger than the hornet and was more rectangular in design. Instead of two turbofan engines, it relied on jet engines to keep it aloft. This vehicle was known as a vulture. Before it could open fire, however, Zhar ordered the Unggoy to fire their overcharged plasma pistols at it, disabling the aircraft and causing it to crash to the ground. The Mgalekgolo pair then finished it off with a few shots from their assault cannons.

Before they could move on, however, they heard a noise behind them. Zhar looked at that direction and saw a human tank known as a scorpion coming towards them. The Mgalekgolo pair charged at the tank but were quickly blown to pieces by its firepower. Zhar ordered the Unggoy, the only remaining soldiers under his command, to take cover in a nearby alley. They did so and Zhar joined them before the tank's driver saw them. It was here that Zhar gave his next orders to Dazad.

"Dazad, get you and your fellow Unggoy to the extraction point as soon as possible. I will deal with the tank." Truthfully, he did not expect to survive. However, Zhar did not plan on losing anymore of his men. If anyone else was going to die, it would be him. Zhar ran out of the alley, getting the tank's attention. The tank fired a round near Zhar's position, blowing him up into the air for a bit before he came back to the ground. As he got up, groaning in pain as he did so, he saw the tank coming towards him with its cannon pointed at him. Obviously, the driver wanted to savor the moment. Zhar closed his eyes, waiting for the tank to fire its cannon. He then opened his eyes when he heard an explosion and saw that the tank was on fire. Zhar then saw Dazad walking up to him from behind the tank. The other four Unggoy were close behind him.

"I told you to get to the extraction point." Zhar said to Dazad. He was impressed that Dazad had taken out a tank but at the same time, he was angry that the Unggoy had disobeyed his orders.

"I wasn't going to let you die, sir." Dazad told Zhar. As much as Zhar wanted to punish Dazad for insubordination, he was nonetheless impressed by the Unggoy's determination. He decided to leave Dazad with a warning.

"I will let this go, Dazad. However, the next time I give you an order, I expect you to follow it. Do you understand me?" Zhar sternly said to Dazad.

"Yes, sir." Dazad answered. After that, Zhar, Dazad, and the other four Unggoy made their way through the city. Eventually, they found the doors of a bomb shelter. Zhar and the Unggoy blew the doors open with their remaining plasma grenades and made their way inside where they were met by screaming civilians. Zhar hesitated to fire as these humans were unarmed. If Zhar and his men didn't kill these humans, then they would either die when the city was glassed or they would survive and become soldiers in the future, allowing Zhar to face them fairly.

" _I am watching your actions through your helmet's camera, Zhar 'Chavamee. Why are you hesitating?_ " the Prophet of Justice said on Zhar's comms.

"These humans are unarmed, Holy One. There is no honor in killing them." Zhar answered.

" _It doesn't matter. They are heretics and they will die as heretics. Kill them._ "

"But-"

" _Your family was granted a second chance! They will not be granted a third!_ " That made things clear. Either Zhar killed these defenseless humans or his entire clan would be killed. He quickly made his choice.

"Open fire." Zhar ordered his men as he took out his plasma rifle and fired on the humans. The bomb shelter was quickly filled with the sounds of gunfire and screaming humans. Soon, there were only two humans left, a mother and her newborn child. The mother was doing her best to calm her child, who was crying very loudly.

"Shh, I'm here, it's okay." she said while quietly crying herself. Zhar walked toward the humans and aimed his plasma rifle at them. The mother looked at Zhar for a moment before bringing her child as close to her as possible and closing her eyes, accepting her fate. Zhar hesitated for a moment before pulling the trigger, killing both the mother and her child.

Zhar and his men then made their way to the extraction point. A phantom picked them up just before the city started to get glassed. As Zhar was watching the city burn, a single question dwelled on his mind: why was the Covenant doing this?

The war had been going on for eleven years at this point and not once did the Hierarchs offer the humans a chance to surrender. Yes, the humans were guilty of desecrating holy relics but the Lekgolo were guilty of the same crime. Now, the worms of Te were possibly the Covenant's most important client race. So why weren't the humans offered a place in the Covenant? They had proven themselves to be worthy opponents and, if offered a place in the empire, could have achieved a similar societal status as the Sangheili.

Zhar shook these thoughts from his mind as the phantom entered the _Blade of Honor's_ hangar. These thoughts were heresy. His job was not to decide whether the Hierarchs were right or wrong. His job was to follow orders. As soon as the phantom landed in the hangar, Zhar retired to his quarters for the night.

 **The war is starting to affect Zhar. Expect it to affect him more in the future. Remember to review. Tell me what you liked or hated but no flames please.**


End file.
